Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Hospices

Tuesday 11 February 2025 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • James Naish questioned the Minister about the risk of redundancy for staff at Nottinghamshire hospice despite the 100 million funding boost.
  • Kate Osamor inquired about assurances for long-term funding for North London Hospice, which relies on public donations for much of its funding.
  • Harpreet Uppal highlighted the funding pressures faced by local hospices and asked about government efforts to ensure their long-term sustainability and inclusion in end-of-life care policies.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 James Naish Lab Rushcliffe
NHS
Context

Nottinghamshire hospice, serving Rushcliffe constituency and providing home care services, is experiencing significant financial challenges with 17 staff members at risk of redundancy.

Question

While I wholeheartedly welcome the £100 million capital funding boost for hospices announced before Christmas, 17 members of staff at Nottinghamshire hospice, which provides care for family members in their own homes, have recently been told they are at risk of redundancy. Can the Minister please expand on how the Government will support organisations such as this to continue to deliver excellent care in the community?

Answer from The Minister for Care (Stephen Kinnock)

I thank my hon. Friend for this important question, and I commend the work of hospices such as Nottinghamshire hospice in his constituency, which does a wonderful job for people in Rushcliffe. The investment of £100 million will help hospices to provide quality end-of-life care to patients and their families. This funding can be used to improve IT systems, make it easier for GPs and hospitals to share vital data on patients, and support outreach services to deliver care at home.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not specify measures to prevent staff redundancies or how the capital funding will be allocated in a way that directly addresses the redundancy issue.

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Q2 Kate Osamor Labour (Co-op) Edmonton and Winchmore Hill
NHS
Context

North London Hospice in Edmonton and Winchmore Hill receives one third of its funding from the NHS, with the rest coming from public donations. The hospice is facing delays in accessing funding from integrated care boards.

Question

North London Hospice in my constituency has a site that receives one third of its funding from the NHS, with the rest coming from public donations. Many services are funded entirely by donations. While it welcomes the announcement of £100 million in funding, what assurances can the Government provide about long-term hospice funding, given significant delays in accessing funding from integrated care boards this year?

Answer from The Minister for Care (Stephen Kinnock)

I thank my hon. Friend for that question. On her point about long-term funding, last week I chaired a roundtable with key stakeholders from the sector, and we were focused on developing a plan to secure the long-term sustainability of the sector. We will not go back to the cliff edge situation due to Tory mismanagement in the past.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not provide specific assurances or clarity regarding long-term funding distribution and allocation.

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Q3 Harpreet Uppal Lab Sheffield Central
NHS
Context

Hospices in Sheffield Central are struggling with long-term funding pressures and have had to reduce services and staff.

Question

I have witnessed the exceptional work of local hospices. However, they are also struggling with long-term funding pressures and have had to make difficult decisions to reduce services and staff. What further work are the Government doing to ensure that hospices thrive and end-of-life care is included in the 10-year NHS plan?

Answer from The Minister for Care (Stephen Kinnock)

I thank my hon. Friend for that question. One of the three shifts in the 10-year plan is shifting more healthcare out of hospitals into the community. We are having discussions about long-term sustainability, including hospices, and as we develop the plan, we will carefully consider policies with input from stakeholders.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not provide specific details on ongoing work or concrete measures to ensure the thriving of local hospices.

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